Kim Blanda (left), Dr. Rose Puelle (center), and Karen DeMarco (right), Hunterdon County Partnership for Health
This podcast episode features the work of the Hunterdon County Partnership for Health, a multi-sector coalition that includes over 60 community agencies that share a common interest in improving health in Hunterdon County, NJ. Kim Blanda is a Project Director at Hunterdon Healthcare, Dr. Rose Puelle is a Senior Director of Population Health at Hunterdon Healthcare, and Karen DeMarco is the Director of the Hunterdon County Department of Health. Together, they are working on a project funded by New Jersey Health Initiatives (NJHI) focused on healthier weight as a mechanism for improving community health. The Partnership is addressing obesity-related social determinants of health related to access and transportation, mental health and healthy behaviors.
Additional Resources:
- Learn more about their NJHI-funded project
- Visit their website at partnershipforhealth.hunterdonhealthcare.org
- Get updates from the partnership on Facebook and Twitter
This podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher, and TuneIn.
3 Takeaways from the Interview
In the words of Kim Blanda, Dr. Rose Puelle, and Karen DeMarco…
1. Take time to understand the key drivers of potential partners
“As you try to engage new groups, you really need to understand what their goals and objectives are, whether it’s sharing data or anything else that you’re trying to work on together. I think listening is a huge part of being a good collaborator.”
-Kim Blanda
2. Share the data you have rather than waiting for the data you want
“Bring your data to the table to share. Even though it may not be the prettiest or loveliest dataset that anyone would care to analyze, it can be used to inform other decisions that can lead to really good data. Also, don’t hesitate to train your collaborators to understand data and the weaknesses and the strengths of it.”
-Dr. Rose Puelle
3. Track the overall health of your partnership
“We’re constantly evaluating how our governance structure is running and if we’re gaining new members for our partnership and for each of our action teams. That really tells us if we’re on point and able to make an impact–if we’re keeping our members engaged and gaining new members along the way from multiple sectors.”
-Karen DeMarco